Benefits of Music Education

Kris Epperson
Mrs. Wilder-Newland
English 12
15 March 2012
Benefits of Required Music EducationAccording to “College Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers,” “Students in music appreciation classes scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation.” Music programs are being cut and underfunded even though these programs should be the first to be funded; they provide a magnitude of benefits. Music should be taught progressively just like English or social studies. The music class would start out as it does in most music classes in elementary school, going through the basic history and learning how to play the recorder. Then, in middle school, it would gradually become more complex and include knowledge of music history, basic music theory, and basic instrument skills. In high school, the class would branch out to include intermediate music theory and instrument skills. Music should be required in all grades because it benefits the student learning process.

According to the Music Educators National Conference of 1991, “Music can make a significant contribution to all of education in terms of student benefits by enhancing key developmental goals such as self-esteem and creativity” (Eady and Wilson “The Influence” 243). The importance of music education has been debated, mostly in the past thirty years. Recently, some band directors have been forced to share jobs. This change means a high school band director has to be the middle school band director as well as the elementary school band director. An overload can take the focus away from improving the high school band program. Music classes are taught only once a week in local elementary schools. In local middle schools the only source of music education is the exploratory band, choir, and orchestra program. No general music classes are required, which means students not enrolled in the arts program will have no music education. In high school there are more options for music education, but they are not directly required. Some options included are symphonic band, jazz ensemble, show choir, concert choir, and music theory, which is only offered as an independent study at Columbus East High School. In order to graduate with a Core40 Diploma, a student needs to obtain five direct elective class credits. This is two and a half years of any fine arts, world language or C4 class. Students involved in music programs have to raise incredible amounts of money in order to participate in the programs. Locally the cost can be as much as five hundred dollars per year. The expense can make participation for low socioeconomic students impossible.

There are often misconceptions about the usefulness of music education. Eric Gutjahr, an IU psychology teacher at Columbus East High School, received his master’s degree in psychology from Indiana University. “The main thing about music is it is an artistic way to express our love of patterns and you see it in art, visually, and mathematics is all about patterns” (Gutjahr). There are often misconceptions about the usefulness of music education. In basic mathematics classes, students learn simple algorithms which are, in essence, patterns of finding answers. Music also uses patterns to express rhythms and melodies. So many links exist between music and math. In music there are notes that have certain time value just as math has numbers and variables that represent value. In common time a measure of music has four full beats. Although many possible variations can be used to make the four full beats, the total will still always equal four. Quarter notes equal one beat, eighth notes equal half a beat, sixteenth notes equal a fourth of a beat, and likewise for the rests. There can be two sixteenth notes, a quarter rest, an eighth note, and two quarter notes, and still be four beats. There are simple and complex fractional mathematics involved when reading and...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...Most children love music class. I remember looking forward to music class when I was a young student in elementary school. We sang songs read from hand-written overhead transparencies as our music teacher banged out the melodies on an old piano. We all came out of music class feeling joyful, and would continue singing the songs as we walked down the hallway back to our classroom. To this day I (along with several of my old classmates), can remember the lyrics and melodies to a few of the more memorable songs from grade school music class and chorus. However, I will refrain from belting out those old tunes at this time! The school provided musical instrument lessons to students when they reached fourth grade. We know now that musical instruction provides much more than simply experiencing the sheer joy of music. Scientific evidence proves that musical instruction skills actually help students. These benefits are applicable to the general student body, and for disabled and/or special needs students.
Musical Instruction can lead to success in school:
Success in society is predicated on success in school. Skills learned through the discipline of music transfer to study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills useful in every part of the curriculum. There are a number of hard facts reported about the ways that music study is correlated...

...Linda Herrick
Benefits of MusicEducation for Children and Society
Dr. Susan Hove-Pabst
April 13, 2005
K-8 Music Methods
Thesis Statement: Musiceducation is a crucial aspect for the growth and expansion of a young child's mind or the expansion of an adult's mind.
Outline
I. Musiceducation fits into various subjects in the classroom
A. Music is a science
1. It is exact, specific, and it demands exact acoustics
2. Music is a chart
a. Frequency
b. Intensity
c. Volume changes
d. Melody
e. Harmony
B. Music is mathematical
1. Rhythmatically based
a. Subdivisions of time
b. Time into fractions
C. Music is foreign language
1. Most terms are in a different language
a. Italian
b. German
c. French
2. Notation is not English
a. Developed kind of shorthand
b. Symbols to represent ideas
D. Music is physical education
1. Requires coordination
a. Fingers/Hands
b. Arms
c. Lips/Cheeks/Facial muscles
d. Back
e. Stomach
f. Ears
E. Music is art
1. Techniques
a. Take techniques to create emotion
2. Way of thinking
a. Humanism
b. Feeling
F....

...Twelve benefits of MusicEducation
1. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds.
2. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.
3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.
4. Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.
5. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to...

...The Benefits of Early Childhood Education
Introduction
Early childhood education is a term that is used to commonly describe the formal teaching and care of young children by individuals or professionals other than their family or in settings outside the child’s home. Based on the definition provided by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, early childhood education spans the child’s life from birth to the age of eight.
That being said, the general definition adopted by the majority of school districts throughout the world will typically employ a system of early childhood education starting from birth to when a child starts school—which typically occurs at the age of five.
The definitions regarding early childhood education are somewhat arbitrary; however, the majority of school jurisdictions throughout the world have defined the curriculum as taking place between a child’s birth until he or she reaches the age of 6. This period is regarded as one of the most critical in regards to a child’s development, for the years, which constitute early childhood education, denote the most influential period of growth and development. From zero to age 6 is the period of greatest growth and development for a child; at this stage, the brain develops most rapidly.
During this period, a child will begin walking, talking, developing a...

...MusicEducation: A Source For Brain Power
In today's society, people are constantly looking for new ways to have students produce more from their public education. Some argue that more funding is the answer, while others say that better learning facilities will help. Studies recently conducted show that a simple change in the curriculum will produce the outcome that people are searching for. The simple change is musiceducation. Musiceducation has been shown to improve general academic skills as well as social skills in children. If music classes are added to a child's schedule, they will begin to show an increase in learning that educators are looking for. Get rid of the ideas of more funding and better facilities, all the students need is a simple music course in their everyday lives.
Recent studies prove that musiceducation is an effective way to increase the way children perform in overall academics. Jenny Yoon makes it clear in her dissertation to Biola University, that the effects of musiceducation are only positive. Many studies show the connection of musiceducation to academics, test scores, and grades. Research has shown great benefits between music and standardized tests. A study was taken with 5,000 children...

...Caleb Spears
Mrs. Nolan
Senior Project
25 September 2012
The Knowledge of music is becoming more and more important in our world every day. In the tragedy, The Mourning Bride by William Congreve, William wrote, “Music Hath charms to soothe a savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak” (Dillon INT). Music is a part of every culture and has been and will always be an important necessity to humanity’s well-being. “I think music itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music” (Billy Joel). The people who know how to use the power of music by integrating it into everyday life in some way, shape, or form, do know how lucky they are. Music is the great escape from the worries, the stresses, and the tensions of everyday life. Music is crucial in an ever changing world where cultural boundaries set us apart.
“Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents” (Ludwig van Beethoven). Music isn’t just a source of relaxation, but it has many benefits. If we would integrate music into the classrooms in schools more, then we would have smarter students. Most of the time teachers use visual examples to boost the students’ learning and they completely ignore the auditory...

...﻿HOW MUSICEDUCATIONBENEFITS US
Assalamualaikum and a very good evening to our beloved lecturer and my fellow friends. Today, my friend and I would like to expose all of us here with how musiceducationbenefits us.
What is musiceducation? Musiceducation is a field of study associated with teaching and learning music. It touches on all learning domains, including the psychomotor domain (the development of skills), the cognitive domain (the acquisition of knowledge), and in particular and significant ways, the affective domain (the learner's willingness to receive, internalize, and share what is learned), including music appreciation and sensitivity. Numerous studies have shown that musical training improves verbal memory. Researchers in one study administered memory tests to 90 boys between the ages of 6 and 15. Half belonged to their school s strings program for one to five years, while the other half had no musical training. The musically trained students had better verbal memory. In addition, many researchers believe the ability to perceive and enjoy music is an inborn human trait. This biological aspect is supported by the discovery that the brain has specialized areas that respond only to music and that these areas provoke emotional responses. Studies have shown that...

...Benefits of Education
The education system of America has faced severe scrutiny. There have been many who have claimed that the schools of today are nothing but a waste of time and harmful towards youths independence and creativity. They believe that our education system is in need of serious reform and they are wrong. The outspoken, spoiled citizens are giving our nations education system a bad name. It is the very educational system they are scrutinizing, that gave them the resources to formulate such ideas! Where would this nation be without public education? In a dark, chaotic place where no new knowledge is obtainable. Even learning the basics of reading, writing, and arithmatic would require an ungodly amount of effort. Our education system is doing a great job of teaching our nations youth, and anyone who argues otherwise is not grateful for this gift America gives.
Recall what you have learned since starting school, now imagine your life without that. Do you suppose that you would have naturally acquired such information? Daniel Quinn theorizes yes, that all knowledge obtained through school could just as easily be learned from imitation. I couldn’t disagree more. Take reading for example, there are millions of people today, in this country, who are illiterate. Imagine how that number would grow if there were no schools to guide students along the pursuit of...